I’ve spent most of my life building things: teams, strategies, and companies. For nearly three decades, I worked with emerging technologies across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, most notably by leading global innovation efforts at Cisco Systems. At some point, I was spending more time in meetings and airports than with my family or in the places that truly mattered to me. Then, one day, I decided to stop.
Ready for another day of great nature experiences – Gunnar Florus
So I stepped back and deliberately shifted focus to the mountains for a couple of years. Since then, I’ve returned to work with a clearer perspective, now serving as an investor, board director, and advisor to early-stage companies.
The mountains are excellent teachers of patience and planning. I’ve invested in structuring both personal and professional life to give proper attention to mountaineering with a methodical approach: formal instruction, steady progression, and eventually qualifying as a certified glacier guide. The certification process is thorough, as it should be when licensed to take responsibility for other people’s lives on a glacier. The crossover with business proved unexpectedly valuable.
A few years back, this led to MASSIV: a 21-day, 350-kilometre solo traverse of Norwegian mountains, and the privilege of spending three weeks alone in the highlands. I’m delighted I pursued this while physically and mentally fit, rather than waiting for retirement and betting on my health to last.
The mindset needed in the mountains, measured risk, planning, and staying calm under pressure, is not so different from what’s needed in business. I’ve seen more than a few turnarounds that felt like steep climbs with no obvious retreat. You don’t quit halfway up, and the same goes for leadership.
These days, I combine my work as an investment partner and board director with a life that leaves space for family, mountain time, and the occasional longer expedition.
